Combination vacuum cleaner and burner



Sept. 5, 1950 H. LEON COMBINATION VACUUM CLEANER AND BURNER Filed March 18, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 H EN RY L E0 N INVENTOR BY jaw/11v M Fig. 1

A'ITORNEY Sept. 5, 1950 H. LEON 2,521,465

COMBINATION VACUUM CLEANER AND BURNER Filed March 18, 1946 3.Sheets-Sheet 2 HENRY LEON INVENT OR BY MW ATTOR N EY Sept. 5, 1950 H. LEON COMBINATION VACUUM CLEANER AND BURNER 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 18,. 1946 HENRY LEON INVENTOR BY W fllwm/ ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 5, 1 950 COMBINATION VACUUM CLEANER AND BURNER Henry Leon, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application March 18, 1946, Serial No. 655,321

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a combination vacuum cleaner and burner and more particularly to a vacuum cleaner and burner that is adapted to be moved about the floor for use in removing dust from rugs, carpets and other floor coverings.

An object of this invention is to provide in combination with a portable vacuum cleaner having an air and dust suction fan, a helical passageway of tubular cross-section in communication with the discharge from the fan, an elongated coil of heiically wound wire adapted to be rendered incandescent by resistance to an electric current passing through it mounted in closely confined and in entirely inclosed relation in the passageway, and means for causing incandescence of the wire, whereby air containing dust passing through the passageway and in contact with the incandescent wire will be burned to ashes.

Another object of this invention is to provide in combination with a vacuum cleaner having an air and dust suction fan, an elongated passageway connected with the discharge from the fan, an incandescent electric element co-extensive with the passageway, means for causing incan descence of the element, for burning the dust discharged by the fan and passing in contact with the incandenscent element, an ash collecting receptacle in the lower portion of the vacuum cleaner, and a circumscribing chamber having a screen or felted pad at its upper portion for the discharge of clean air from the vacuum cleaner.

Another object of this invention is to provide a modified vacuum cleaner of the class described and comprising a resistance adapted to be rendered incandescent by an electric current passing through it, the resistance being mounted in closely confined relation in a passageway through which the dust laden air is made to pass and to provide a coarse filter below the exit from the passageway and an activated charcoal bed or similar gas absorbing material above the said exit and through which the discharged ai will pass and so that the odor resulting from the burning of the dust will be eliminated.

This application is a continuation in part of my abandoned application for patent for Combination Vacuum Cleaner and Burner, Serial No. 508,707, filed November 2, 1943.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention will be hereinafter more particularly described, and the combination and arrangement of parts will be shown in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims which form part or this specification.

Reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which:

Figure 1 is a central cross-sectional view of the combination vacuum cleaner and burner showing the air suction inlet, the portion below the inlet being taken as on line l--I in Figure 2.

Figure'z is a cross-sectional view through the air suction inlet, the section being taken as on line 2--2 in Figure 1, the volute chamber for the fan being partly broken away to show a passageway from the fan discharge to a passageway on the outer surface of the incandescent element.

. Figure 3 is an elevation of the incandescent heating unit, the incandescent element being removed.

Figure 4 is a central cross-sectional viewroi a modified combination vacuum cleaner and burner comprising a lower coarse filter at the lower level of the vacuum cleaner and a gas adsorbing bed at an upper elevation of the vacuum cleaner.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the numeral 10 indicates a tubular blower housing. At its lower end, the housing [0 is pivotally mounted on hinge elements I l to a hollow bottom member It. In the member I2 is a receptacle [3 in which is deposited the ash from the burned dust. A door M suitably secured to the bottom member I 2 enables convenient and clean removal of the ash receptacle from the bottom member.

Mounted over the outer periphery of the blower housing In is a tubular casing l5 having an an nular flange [6. The casing I5 is secured to the housing It] by screws H. A disk-shaped finemesh air filter l 8 preferably made of spun glass is secured to the upper face of the housing In by the flange l6.

Mounted centrally in the upper portion of the housing I 0 is an electric motor 20 and a shaft ex-'- tension 2| having a centrifugal fan 22 secured thereto. The casing H) has an aperture 23 per-- mitting passage therethrough of a flexible c0nduit 24 which is connected to a tubular inlet 25 projecting from the housing. The free end of the conduit is connected to a vacuum cleaner nozzle (not shown).

The housing In comprises a lower section Hi A threaded metallic socket 35 is fixed in the upper portion of the housing section III. A terminal 36 is secured by screws 31 to the upper face of the housing section I and in spaced relation above the socket 35. An electric cable 38 which is adapted to be connected with a source of electric current enters the vacuum cleaner through apertures in the walls of the casing l and of the housing llland has two wires, one of which is connected to'the free end .of the termi nal 36 and the other is connected to the socket 35.

The extension 3| has a conically shaped interior which is designed to provide close fitting contacting relation with the exterior surface of a conically shaped heating unit 40. The heating unit 40 has a threaded metallic sleeve member 4| adapted to engage complementarythreads within the socket 35. As shown in Figure}, when the heating unit (in is in contacting relation with the conically shaped interior 39, acontact 42 on the upper portion of the sleeve member 4| is in electrically contactingrelation with the lower face of the terminal 36.

The body of the hollow incandescent unit an is made of conically shaped insulating and heat resisting material having a helical groove 40" all around its outer surface. The groove '40 is of substantially semi-circular cross-section and larger than a coiled wirevincandescent element 45 which is houseditherein. Threaded sockets 43 of insulating material are provided in the housing section ill for insulating the terminal 36 from the material of the housing section.

Electric current flows through the cable 3 8to the incandescent unit 46 and ,to the electric motor 20 through a cable 48in parallel with the cable ,38. p I

In operation, current flows from the cable 38 to a terminal, to the socket 35, through the coiled wire element 5, anclalong a'straight portion 46 of the wire element 45 in theinterior of the unit ,40, to the contact 42, and then through the terminal 36 to thecable "38.

As bestshown in,Figure 2, the volute flange 33 enclosingthe'fan 22.,starts at; a pointfill close to the outer periphery of the fan and terminates at a point 5| in considerablyspaced relation from the fan. The air discharge from the fanv passes into an apertureEZ. and intoa d0wnward- 1y directed passageway I531having a radially directed outlet 54 facing the interior 39 of the conical extension 3.l. It, is .to'be noted thatthe 0l1tlet.54 is in line with theupper end 55 of the helicalgroove 40.

For the purpose of removing heavy foreign objects from the air vstream, such as, pins .56 made of metal, I provide a trap 51 comprising a passage 58 positioned crosswiseof the passageway 53. One. of the walls defining the passageway 53 is atheight forming a partialbar'to the air flow and causes at whirling motion at, said wall, whereby the pins, etc, drop down into a reticulated. casingjS of fine, mesh. through which the air maypass but fine enough to stop out-,

ward passage of saidpins, etc.

When an accumulation of foreign matter fills the trap 51, screws 60 are.removed,to permit..removal .of the casing 59. for,cleaningrmt-v the trap.

As shown in Figure 1, it will beseen thata chamber or space 6|, extending across .the,en-- tire cross-sectionof the casing, isp itionedbetween the ash receptacle l3 and the-groove-Mf shown in Figure 3. Also that the chamber.. has an upwardly extending continuation 162,

which is co-extenslve with the entire height of the casing l5.

It will be seen that, in operation, the discharged material from the groove 40' first passes through the chamber GI and then through the long chamber extension '62. These large passages are of extensively greater cross-sectional area than the confining passageway 63, to permit reduction in velocity of flow and settling of the ash in the ash receptacle l3'before contacting the filter I8.

Figure 4 shows a modified combination vacuum cleaner and burner 65 which is substantially like the combination vacuum cleaner and burner shown in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive.

The combination vacuum cleaner and burner 65 comprises a coarse filter 66 preferably of annular form. The filter 66 is supported by a funnel shaped member 61 having an upper circular flange 68 which may bezfrictionally supported on a cylindrical lower portion 59 of amodified incandescent unit .40 which is in .all other respects similar to the incandescent unit .40.

The funnel shaped memberfil has a perforated horizontally positioned flange .lD havingsubstan tially large perforations H. The coarseifilter "B5 is preferably secured to the flangelfi by rivets 12.

The combination vacuum cleaner and burner 65 also comprisesa chemical gas absorbing bed 15 which may be in they form of activated ,charcoal [5. The chemical bed 15 is carried in a dished member 11, havinga perforated;base l8 and perforations 19. .The dished member 11 has a horizontal flangeflfl resting onthe uppermor tion of the modified housing [0.

At the upper endof the housing If) is a fine filter (8 which rests on the flange .89. An; annu lar clamp rin 8! secures the filter l8 and the chemical bed 15 to the housing 10' by the screw II.

.It is tobe noted thatthe motor 20, shown in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive is concealed by an inner. cylindrical upper extension 82 of the modified housing 10. Q

bodiments of my invention,,b.ut it willbe under,

stood that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appendway, said passagewaycommunicatingat'one endwith the discharge from said fan and terminating at said ash'receptacle at: the oppositeend,

said electric unit comprising, coiled wirelincandescent-element housed; in said tubular-passsageway in. closely confined; and-Au; entirely ;in-' .closed relation, saidaelectricaelementi being;co-

extensive with said passageway, a tubular conduit for air suction connected to said casing and communicating with the inlet to said fan, means for rotating said fan, means for causing incandescence of said electric element, whereby air containing dust sucked into said fan is constrained to move in contacting relation with said confined incandescent element all along its length and said dust is burned to ashes, said casing forming a chamber positioned between said passageway outlet and said ash receptacle having an extension co-extensive with the entire height of said casing, said chamber and extension being of extensively greater cross-sectional area than said passageway to permit a reduction in velocity of flow and settlin of said ash in said ash receptacle, and a screened outlet positioned in spaced-apart relation from said ash receptacle for the escape of dustless air from said dust burning vacuum cleaner.

2. In a dust burning vacuum cleaner comprising a casing, a suction fan and an ash receptacle, said fan being enclosed in its entirety within said casing, an electric unit having a helical groove on its outer surface, said casing having a housing for receiving said electric unit, said housing covering said grooved outer surface and forming an elongated helical tubular passageway, said passageway communicating at one end with the discharge from said fan and terminating at said ash receptacle at the opposite end, said electric unit comprising a coiled wire incandescent element housed in said tubular passageway in closely confined and in entirel inclosed relation, said electric element being co-extensive with said passageway, a tubular conduit for air suction connected to said casing and communicating with the inlet of said fan, means for rotating said fan, means for causing incandescence of said electric element, whereby air containing dust sucked into said fan is constrained to move in contacting relation with said confined incandescent element all along its length and said dust is burned to ashes, said casing forming a chamber positioned between said passageway outlet and said ash receptacle and having an extension co-extensive with the entire height of said casing, said chamber and extension being of extensively greater cross-sectional area than said passageway to permit reduction in the velocity of flow and settling of said ash in said ash receptacle, and a screen-ed outlet positioned in spaced-apart relation from said ash receptacle for the escape of dustless air from said dust burning vacuum cleaner, and means positioned in the passageway from said fan to said electric unit for trapping and collecting metallic substances passing through said passageway and before contacting said electric unit.

3. In a dust burning vacuum cleaner comprising a casing, a suction fan and an ash receptacle, an electric unit having a helical groove, said casing having a housing for receiving said electric unit, said housing covering said grooved outer surface and forming an elongated helical tubular passageway, said passageway communicating at one end with the discharge from said fan and terminating at said ash receptacle at the opposite end, said electric unit comprising an incandescent element housed in said tubular passageway in closely confined and in entirely inclosed relation, conduit for air suction connected to said casing and communicating with the inlet of said fan, means for rotating said fan, means for causing incandescence of said electric element, whereby air containing dust sucked into said fan is constrained to move in contacting relation with said confined incandescent element along its length and said dust is burned to ashes, said casing forming a chamber positioned between said passageway outlet and said ash receptacle and having an extension co-extensive with the height of said casing, said chamber and extension being of extensively greater cross-sectional area than said passageway to permit reduction in the velocity of flow and settling of said ash in said ash receptacle, a coarse screen positioned directly above said ash receptacle, and a gas adsorbing bed positioned above said screen.

4. In a dust burning vacuum cleaner comprising a casing, a suction fan and an ash receptacle, an electric unit, said casing having a housing for said electric unit, a tubular passageway communieating at one end with the discharge from said fan and terminating at said ash receptacle at the opposite end, said electric unit comprising an incandescent element housed in said tubular passageway in inclosed relation, a conduit for air suction connected to said casing and communicating with the inlet of said fan, means for rotating said fan, means for causing incandescence of said electric'element, whereby air containing dust sucked into said fan is constrained to move in contacting relation with said inclosed incandescent element along its length and said dust is burned to ashes, said casing having a chamber positioned between said passageway outlet and said ash receptacle, said chamber being of greater cross-sectional area than said passageway to permit reduction the velocity of flow and settling of said ash in said ash receptacle and a gas adsorbing bed in said casing.

HENRY LEON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 590,892 Knight Sept. 28, 1897 1,035,012 Haselton Aug. 6, 1912 1,195,615 Simon Aug. 22, 1916 1,484,517 Macy Feb. 19, 1924 1,583,975 Hunt May 11, 1926 1,681,531 Gannon Aug. 2 1, 1928 1,950,502 Madan Mar. 13, 1934 

